Timer switch assembly with independently controlled manual and motor driven cams

ABSTRACT

The timer motor drives the multi-lobe cam to periodically actuate the switch to &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;closed&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; and intermittently run (pulse) the separate appliance motor. When the knob is manually turned 90*, the lobe of the outer manually actuated mask or actuator rotates to actuate the switch to closed position continuously so the appliance motor runs continuously. The actuator is journaled in the plate and journals the end of the driven cam which is fixed in the timer motor output shaft.

United States Patent Gebel et a1. May 13, 1975 [5 TIMER SWITCH ASSEMBLYWITH 3,293,769 12/1966 Graham 200/38 B x INDEPENDENTLY CONTROLLED MANUAL3,588,391 6/1971 Banathy et al. 200/38 B X AND MOTOR DRIVEN CAMS3,742,159 6/1973 Brown 200/38 B X 3,790,726 2/1974 Brown 200/38 BInventors: Irving Gebel, Skolcie; Michael H.

Enger, Schaumburg, both of 111.

Assignee: Controls Company of America,

Schiller Park, 111.

Filed: Jan. 14, 1974 Appl. No.: 432,852

US. Cl 200/38 R Int. Cl. H0lh 43/10 Field of Search... 200/37 R, 37 A,38 R, 38 A, 200/38 F, 38 FA, 38 PB, 38 B, 38 BA, 38 C, 38 CA, 153 L, 153LB, 291, 327

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1966 Rulseh et a1. 200/38 FBPrimary Examiner-James R. Scott Attorney, Agent, or FirmMichael, Best &Friedrich ABSTRACT 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures TIMER SWITCH ASSEMBLYWITH INDEPENDENTLY CONTROLLED MANUAL AND MOTOR DRIVEN. CAMS BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION In the blender/food mixer art it is recognized. thatcertain ingredients are processed faster if the mixer is pulsed i.e.,run intermittently. For this purpose a simple timer is used to controlthe power supply to the mixer motor and energization of the timer motoris controlled by a push button switch. Since continuous operation of theappliance motor must also be provided for, it is customary to provide aselector switch to remove the timer from the circuit and directlyenergize the appliance motor. This entails a selector switch, mountingfor the switch, and additional wiring.

This invention is directed to simplification of the control arrangementwith consequent cost savings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With the construction and wiring arrangementdescribed above, the functions are provided at a considerable saving.The selector switch is eliminated and thus the mounting and wiringtherefor are eliminated. Simple manual means as easily actuated as theprior selector switch control the timer switch to override the pulsingof the switch.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a combination wiring diagram andschematic showing of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the timer.

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED- EMBODIMENT wardly against the plunger 22of snap switch 24 and In order to place the timer in its environment, itis drives a multi-lobe cam 18 which actuates a pivoted follower 20which, in turn, actuates the plunger 22 of normally open switch 24 so asto periodically close the moving contact or blade 26 on the stationarycontact 28 to thereby connect the blender motor 30 across the llO-voltlines 12 and 14. This will obtain a pulsing or intermittent operation ofthe motor 30. If the manually actuatable knob 32 is rotated to theproper position, the single lobe actuator 34 will act on follower 20 tohold it in the depressed position in which the switch 24 is closedcontinuously, thus bypassing the pulse operation and obtainingcontinuous operation of the motor 30. It will be understood that theswitch 24 is normally open with spring biasing blade 26 away from thefixed contact 28.

Now referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the motor 10 hasdrive shaft 38 journaled in the motor cover 40 and the multi-lobe cam 18is fixed on the drive shaft 38 by any suitable means. Thus the cam 18rotates with the drive shaft 38 with its lobes, therefore, periodicallyactuating the pivoted follower 20 to move upthereby actuate the snapswitch to the closed position.

The 3-lobe cam 18 is provided with a stub shaft 42 which is journaled inthe manually actuated actuator 34 which has an integral shaft 44journaled in bracket or plate 46. Shaft 44 has a flat 48 permittingaccurate registered mounting of the knob 32 on the shaft. Thus theactuator is journaled in plate 46 and journals the shaft 42 ofcam 18;

The bracket or plate 46 is secured to the assembly by staking theturned-down end legs 52,52 to the bracket and motor cover with theswitch 24 captured between the bracket and cover and located bysemi-perfs 50,50 projecting from the bracket and cover into holes in theswitch housing. A tab 54 is turned down from the bracket to be engagedby either of the two limit stops 56,58 carried by the actuator. In theillustrated position the stop 56 is against the tab 54 and if theactuator 34 is rotated the stop 58 will abut the other side of tab 54while the lobe 60 of the cam 34 is brought under the follower 20 to movethe plunger 22 to the switch closed position and retain it in thatposition. The actuator has a square cross-sectional hub 62. A generallyU-shaped spring 64 is mounted in the bracket to engage opposed sides ofthe square hub and give a detent action to the positioning of theactuator. Thus as the cam is rotated 90 the legs of spring 64 are spreadand then close again on the hub to give definite feel to either of thetwo positions. The ends of the bracket 46 turn down and are staked tothe motor cover. The spring is retained with the closed end of thespring captured over a hook 53 on the adjacent turned-down end of thebracket while the legs of the spring project through the otherturned-down end of the bracket. Thus the spring can go nowhere exceptfor a slight axial movement of the spring which is not of anysignificance and cannot lose the spring. If desired, the ends of thespring can be turned over to positively capture the spring. Thecompleted assembly is readily mounted as a unit in the blender and thenonly requires connection of the knob and the timer leads to the pushbutton switch. It should be understood that while the presentarrangement shows a single multi-lobe cam, additional cams could beincluded on the drive of the timer motor, in which case the overrideprovided by the actuator could selectively disable control of the switchby a selected one (or more) of the cams.

It is interesting to note in this arrangement the control system isgreatly simplified by doing the unobvious. Normally if one wanted toobtain continuous operation of the blender motor, the obvious thing todo would be to provide a separate switch as in the past. Here theseparate switch is eliminated and the timer motor is continuouslyenergized even though pulsing (the reason for the timer) is not requiredat all times. By departing from the prior straightforward approach, asubstantial cost reduction has been achieved.

We claim:

1. A timer comprising,

an electric motor including a housing and a drive shaft projecting fromand normal to the housing,

a cam mounted on and driven by the motor drive shaft,

normally open switch means periodically actuated to closed position bysaid cam as the cam rotates,

a bracket mounted on and parallel to the housing,

means includes a follower engageable by said cam and by said actuator,said follower actuating a switch.

3. A timer according to claim 1 including means limiting motion of themanually operated actuator between said operative and inoperativepositions,

and means for detenting the actuator to one or the other of saidpositions.

1. A timer comprising, an electric motor including a housing and a driveshaft projecting from and normal to the housing, a cam mounted on anddriven by the motor drive shaft, normally open switch means periodicallyactuated to closed position by said cam as the cam rotates, a bracketmounted on and parallel to the housing, a manually operated actuatorjournaled in the bracket and rotatable between an inoperative positionand an operative position in which it actuates said switch means toclosed position and keeps the switch means closed independently of thecam, said actuator including a shaft one end of which journals said camand the other end of which projects through the bracket for manualoperation.
 2. A timer according to claim 1 in which thE switch meansincludes a follower engageable by said cam and by said actuator, saidfollower actuating a switch.
 3. A timer according to claim 1 includingmeans limiting motion of the manually operated actuator between saidoperative and inoperative positions, and means for detenting theactuator to one or the other of said positions.